Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Creatures of the Night Series Book 1 Secrets ❯ ... A Demon... ( Chapter 3 )

Soft yips echoed in the large cave, causing her to look up from her nap. With a fox's smile, the large creature stretched out her neck far enough so that her kits could smell her scent and fell her warmth. With soft squeals and whines of content, the babies crawled to her, resettling themselves comfortable by her muzzle. Taking one of her long tails, she draped it over her kits to keep them warm as they slept.

~*~

As the full moon rose high in the sky, the large Kitsune opened her eyes to look upon her litter of four crowded about her muzzle, eyes still closed, begging for food. With a smile only a fox can give, she stood, silently telling her kits she was going to hunt and to stay in the cave, and left.

The stars glittered like the facets of many jewels as she prowled in the forest, now the size of a mortal wolf. The scent of living game invaded her nostrils, causing her to ponder just what she could bring back to her children.

A flash of brown and white against the dull green of the grass.

The Kitsune stilled, focusing herself so that the major of her awareness rested on the fawn ahead of her. Lowering herself to the ground, she slowly crept her way over to her prey.

Once she was close enough to pounce on the creature, a blazing, white-hot pain shot through her mind and body. With a sharp cry, she knew something terrible had happened to her babies. Turning from where the fawn had been (having fled at her cry) she bolted back to her den.

Approaching her cave, the acrid scent of human fear and the coppery overtone of blood filled her nostrils. Fearing but refusing to believe, she bolted inside her cave and stilled at the sight before her.

Her four kits lay in a bloody heap, their little bodies ripped apart and piled upon one another.

As she looked upon the bodies of her children, she felt a murderous rage building within her. Thrusting her head into the air and lightly closing her eyes, she inhaled the human stench.

It had been a human male, possibly old enough to have received orders to do this. Inhaling deeply, she registered the scent in her brain, contemplating the other smells that also came with it. For a few moments, she pondered, keeping her rage at bay, not certain where those scents were most common.

Konohagakure Village.

Her eyes snapped open, the rage within her finally taking over, filling her with a lust for revenge. She would find the human that killed her babies. She would find them and make them suffer the same as her kits.

She would make that human pay or her name wasn't Keditsumonne.

This she swore as she bolted from her cave, growing to immeasurable size, heading to the village…

~*~

She hummed happily, taking a dish from the soapy water with one hand, wiping it clean with a rag she held in the other. Deeming it clean, she dunked the plate in a bucket of clean water and set it aside to dry. Washing another dish, she looked through the kitchen window and smiled.

Such a beautiful day, she thought. After I finish these dishes, I think I'll go for a walk. She glanced down at her nine-month-pregnant belly and smiled. But not too far.

As the last of the dishes, she wiped her hands on a towel and made her way to her room to change into cleaner clothes.

Stepping outside, she placed a hand on her stomach, a frown flashing across her face when she felt no movement, but she shook the thought from her head. Convincing herself that her unborn child was all right, she walked down the street and into town.

Passing several of her neighbors, she smiled and greeted them, her blue eyes sparkling. She shivered as she passed a certain alleyway as she was about to turn the corner. Though that night was hazy, she could still remember the feeling of being pulled away from safety.

Sneering drunken laughter.

The ripping of clothes.

The pain. Oh gods, the pain.

Then, a few days later, finding out she was pregnant.

Shivering, she hastened her pace until she was pas the alley and around the corner. With a soft sigh, she lightly rubbed her protruding tummy. Smiling at her soon fortune, she looked up and saw the Hokage monument. Taking a few more paces, she paused suddenly as she felt something wet run between her legs.

"Oh gods," she breathed, falling to her knees. She winced and placed one hand on her stomach and the other on the wall to stabilize herself as a spasm of pain ran through her body.

"Someone help!" she called. "I need to go to a hospital!"

Feeling a hand on shoulder she looked into a single black eye, the other being covered with a leaf hitai-ate.

"Are you all right?" the teen questioned.

"I need to go to a hospital… Now," she panted, wincing at another contraction.

Quickly helping her to her feet, the teen began to pull her along with him. "Come on - it's just this way."

"Thank you," she managed to gasp, following as fast as she could.

The two just barely managed to get into the hospital in time. Almost as soon as they burst in through the doors, she was placed in a wheelchair and wheeled off to the maternity ward while doctors and nurses, possibly asking about her, swamped the black-eyed teen. Though what their actual questions were - or even what the teen's answers were - remained a mystery to her as she was quickly wheeled down a few halls and into a blinding white room.

She had no idea of how long she was in the room.

She had no idea of how many people were in and out of her room or what they were saying.

All she knew was the pain.

And as the pain shot through her body, and as she pushed, she felt something being pulled from between her legs.

But what about the sound?

She could hear her own screams and the unintelligible jumble of the doctors and nurses words but no crying.

No sound from her baby.

Terrified, she gathered the last of her energy and gave a tremendous push and she felt the afterbirth and more blood than there should have been leave her body.

With tears welling in her eyes, she looked to the doctor, hoping beyond hope.

The doctor, holding something in his arms, caught her eye and bowed his head.

She couldn't hold back the tears.

Her baby - the baby she'd wanted - was dead.

As the doctor turned to dispose of the child, she called to him and said, "No. I want… see…"

The doctor hesitated for a moment before walking to the bed and showing the child.

Through her tears, she could see that the baby was male and smaller than he should have been. He had a patch of yellow fuzz on the top of his head and six off markings on his cheeks that reminded her very much so of whiskers.

Weak from the loss of blood, she raised a hand and gently placed it against his cheek.

"My baby, she breathed. "My little… baby…"

Then, the last of her energy gave out, her outstretched arm falling across her chest.

The doctor bowed his head in respect for the dead woman before turning to prepare the body for a funeral and starting in surprise.

The fourth Hokage was standing in the doorway.

Dropping to his knees, the doctor bowed and questioned, "What can I do for you?"

"The child," he stated simply.

"Child…?" the doctor murmured softly, before remembering the still newborn in his arms. He held the baby out and the Fourth took it from his hands, wrapping it in his arms, and the doctor noticed a large piece of agate in his hands. With the child in his arms, the Fourth nodding his thanks and left.

Stepping outside the room, he called upon his chakra and suddenly found himself in a large dark room, bare except for a round stone table with lit candles evenly paced on its rim. The Fourth walked up to the table and placed the newborn in the center of it.

Then, he took the agate in both hands - feeling the Nine Tails Demon Fox trying to break free from its temporary prison, feeling its rage at being trapped in the stone - and held it over the child's navel. He called on his chakra to move through his hands and into the agate, storing it. Closing his eyes, he chanted softly, each word causing the jewel to glow brighter.

Finally, on the last word, his eyes flew open and the chakra stored in the jewel rushed out and into the child's navel. Around the belly button, a yellow-orange spiral sun shape appeared glowing for a second before dulling.

Then, the child twitched and wailed at the top of his tiny lungs.

Placing his hand on the table, for the loss of chakra left him weak, the Fourth looked at the child and murmured to himself.

"You will be a hero. You will be known as the one keeping the Demon away. You will be my namesake. You are Naruto."

~*~

She's so pretty, Naruto thought, watching his pink haired crush from across the bridge. And she's so nice -

To other people, Keditsumonne interrupted.

Naruto stuck a mental tongue out at her. So what if Sakura-chan is a little mean to me (He ignored Kedit's snort and mutter of, Little, yeah right…), she could probably just be shy.

Kit… She hates us.

She doesn't know about you.

Fine, she hates you.

But -

You set yourself up for that one, kit.

Oh, shut-up.

Suddenly, Sakura straightened up and blushed, looking in Naruto's direction.

This is it, Naruto thought brightly. She's going to say something to me. She's going to say -

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun."

Naruto twitched and began to fume, ignoring Kedit (who was laughing at him), and folding his arms across his chest.

What does he have that I don't? he though jealously, glaring at the dark-haired Shinobi as he walked by.

Oh, I don't know, Kedit drawled and he could Feel her grinning. Maybe hotness, intelligence, a life outside of Sakura -

I hate you so much, he thought and Kedit laughed again.

As Sasuke passed Sakura to go and lean against the railing, Kedit Felt a sudden rush of joy that came from neither her nor her kit. With a mental frown, she thought at Naruto, Did you Feel that?

What? He asked, slightly distracted. Feel what?

That… that joy.

No… Naruto focused his attention of searching for whatever it had been. I didn't Feel anything. Do you know where it came from?

I'm not… give me your nose.

Before Naruto could protest, Kedit pressed against the seal's barriers enough to allow herself access to Naruto's nose. Inhaling deeply, her, now sharpened, sense of smell picked up something.

Cats?

Cats and…

Mothballs?

Kedit pulled back, allowing Naruto to regain control of his nose, Cats and mothballs in a distinct proportion - that meant that is was someone's scent. Someone's scent that she could just barely recognize. The name was on the tip of her tongue, but, for all her life, she couldn't spit it out.

What was that for? Naruto demanded.

Something's off, Kedit replied. Something - or someone - doesn't smell right…

Oh, you're just being paranoid.

I hope your right, Kedit thought with a mental sigh just before Kakashi appeared in a puff of smoke, and she had no more time to think about it.

~*~

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-sigh- Next chapter done. And for any of you who have happened to notice that what I write is completely different from the series - I don't particularly care what actually happens. I like to make stuff up. ^^

Nine: That you do.

Angel: Oh, hush, you. Anyway, as for the reviewer questions, they shall all be answered soon. ^^ Well, I don't own Naruto, so, till next time! ^^